Flyers GM Ron Hextall, who owned the No. 7 pick, phoned Kekalainen, hoping the Blue Jackets could help him consider a trade offer he had received from another club with a pick in the top 10.

The San Jose Sharks offered the No. 9 pick and a later-round pick to the Flyers for the No. 7 pick, which would have put them in front of Columbus. (Did Doug Wilson know something here?)

Kekalainen refused to tell Hextall which player the Blue Jackets were targeting, though he reasons that Hextall “thinks were going to take the Finn (forward Mikko Rantanen).” If that were the case, the Flyers could have gotten their guy — Provorov — at No. 9.

But Kekalainen wasn’t talking. Hextall wasn’t talking, either. So they went back to their tables and waited.

The 9th overall pick and a later round pick for #7 seems like a bit of a lowball offer from San Jose.

Despite earlier reports, it appears Lumbus had Zach Werenski pegged as their guy. Ivan Provorov was rated higher by most NHL people.

Columbus thought an asking price of three 2nd round picks was too high from the Maple Leafs to move up and select Noah Hanifin, who they think is only a half notch above Werenski.